please, urgent help with mastering and mixdown

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Thu May 01, 2008 6:04 am

Sorry about the basic question, but I haven't mixed anything down since DP 3 and now I am using DP 4.12.

My son wants to use some of my music compositions in his senior project for a film class and I can't seem to mixdown a simple project into a format like a stereo AIFF or WAV file. I didn't have a problem the only other time I did this in DP 3 so I don't know what stoopid thing I'm not doing.

I know everybody has long moved past DP 4, but I would appreciate some help. His deadline is today. I worked all day yesterday on this, but I know this is very basic so I tried to avoid exposing my ignorance to thousands of my fellow u-nation citizens.

I've tried the big blue manual approach on mastering (page 767), but nothing is working. I wind up with two separate mono files and not a stereo file. I had to take extra blood pressure medication last nite to avoid a stroke I was so frustrated.

Thanks, Greg

G5 2.7 dual with OS 10.1 and DP 4.12

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Thu May 01, 2008 6:08 am

Select interleaved AIFFs in the bounce menu and you should be right.

If you want to make a CD make sure they are 16bit 44.1 files.

Let us know if this doesn't work and we'll get you and your son home.

Cheers

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Thu May 01, 2008 12:25 pm

Thanx for the reply, Kass. I'm stuck at work until 7 CST and I'm chomping at the bit to get to this.

I'll try it as soon as I get home. I knew I was missing something because I don't even remember seeing a menu option for interleaved AIFF.

I'll let you know!

Thanks, again.

Greg

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:39 am

Well, I'm still stuck. When I try to bounce to disk I am not seeing an option for selecting "interleaved stereo files". My menu choices when I highlight the two channels and select "bounce to disk" bounce are:

- mono
- mono (with 3.5 db attenuation)
- split stereo (two mono files)
- split multi-channel - this is greyed out so I can't even select it

I feel like I've let my boy down. I guess I'll send a mono file to him, but he's worked really hard on this project and the piano sounds so much better in stereo. I may have missed his deadline, but I'll try to send him a mono file and if any of you guys have any ideas in the meantime, at least I'm off work today so I can continue to try and straighten this out.

Thanx Kassonica and u-nation!

Greg

dosuna11 · Post by **dosuna11** » Fri May 02, 2008 9:58 am

Try mixing all your audio tracks to one stereo audio track per project. Be sure name it. Then in the sound bites window highlight that track and select export from the mini menu. You will then see a dialog box select core audio aiff and export at 16bit. If you already have a mix then go to soundbites window.

FMiguelez · Post by **FMiguelez** » Fri May 02, 2008 10:41 am

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:29 am

dosuna11:

That was the suggestion in the manual. It was to create a new stereo track and name it, then assign it an unused stereo bus. Alas I may not be doing that process correctly because it doesn't seem to change the final outcome. Would you or someone take me thru THAT process to insure I am at least creating the new stereo track and at least following the simple-headed instuctions correctly?

You know if anyone has an old 24 track with two inch Ampex tape I think I'm ready to revert back to the stone age. This should be so simple, but I am an old dumbass. Next I'll probably be complaining about denture adhesives.

Greg

kassonica · Post by **kassonica** » Sat May 03, 2008 5:55 am

I know why

HAve you made a master track?

Buss everything to A master track then select all the files and length in the S E.

Then hit bounce The options will be there.

spitfire31 · Post by **spitfire31** » Sat May 03, 2008 8:27 am

Maybe this is too late, and maybe I'm talking out of my... back of the head, but:

1) You don't need to 'bus' anything to a Master track! Just add a Master track to you project and set its output to your physical outs, just like the regular tracks.

2) Maybe this was changed before 4.12, but I remember that in the good (?) old days, you had no option but to bounce as Sound Designer .L and .R files, then re-import the bounce as a soundbite (I think there was an option for that to happen automatically) and THEN re-export that soundbite as interleaved AIFF.

Like I said, if I'm off track completely, I apologize, but that's how I recall it.

HTH,

Joey

dosuna11 · Post by **dosuna11** » Sat May 03, 2008 10:10 am

greg oakley wrote:dosuna11:

That was the suggestion in the manual. It was to create a new stereo track and name it, then assign it an unused stereo bus. Alas I may not be doing that process correctly because it doesn't seem to change the final outcome. Would you or someone take me thru THAT process to insure I am at least creating the new stereo track and at least following the simple-headed instuctions correctly?

You know if anyone has an old 24 track with two inch Ampex tape I think I'm ready to revert back to the stone age. This should be so simple, but I am an old dumbass. Next I'll probably be complaining about denture adhesives.

Greg

1. Create a stereo audio track. Name it.
2. Direct the input to Stereo Bus 1 and 2 and output to stereo Out 1 and 2. ( this is so you can hear your mix.) This Done by option clicking the Inputs and outputs on each track.
3. Direct all the outputs of each recorded track to Stereo Bus 1 and 2
4. Record arm the newly created stereo audio track. Hit 3 on your numeric pad (this starts recording) Check the track in the sequence window for levels.
5. Go to the soundbites window.
6. Find the newly recorded track and highlite it.
7. In the soundbites window there is a mini menu. Select export selected bites.
8. When the save window comes up look for File format
9. Look for core audio export aiff. If it isn't there go down the arrows and find it.
10. Name and save
11. A dialog box will appear 16bit signed interger Mac Same as source.
Hit OK.
12. Drag into iTunes and burn a CD.

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Sun May 04, 2008 1:47 pm

You guys are simply the best. I've been stuck at work after all so I couldn't try anything yet, but I don't think I did create a master track.

I'll give it another go tonite and keep everyone posted.

Thank you all sincerely from the bottom of my heart.

Greg

dosuna11 · Post by **dosuna11** » Sun May 04, 2008 7:09 pm

Check this out
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13737

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Mon May 05, 2008 6:01 am

Hi, all.

No luck. I know I'm probably missing something basic here. I finally just sent a mono mix to my son. He was done with his project, but he said he still could use the mix I sent him at the last minute.

Spitfire: I was creating a master track - just didn't remember with all I tried over several days. Thanks for helping!

Dosuna: What can I say? You put a huge effort into your reply. I followed your instructions to the "t" but I could never record arm the track! The record button on the mixer wouldn't arm, and the little arrow which appears to the left of the input/output/track name column in the tracks window would not appear so I could even try to arm it.

See guys - this is what happens when an old guy tries to be tech savvy!

In all seriousness, thanks everyone. I suppose it's possible that I would need to do a re-install of DP. I'll continue to fiddle around and also contemplate upgrading. That just might cost me the will to live. I'm afraid of what might happen to my current other projects with an upgrade - I have a tremendous amount of work done and saved, but it sure won't do me any good if I can't mix it down to a stereo track in the end now will it?

I'll also look at the link you sent me, Dosuna.

Kass, thank you as well!

Respectfully, Greg

greg oakley · Post by **greg oakley** » Tue May 27, 2008 3:01 am

I thought I'd give the folks who helped me a final update.

I wound up having to send my son a mono mix SDII file converted to an MP4 which he was able to use successfully. He is now a college grad!

He finished his project on time and sent me a copy of the documentary.(which I thought looked professionally done)

Not only did he use my original composition over the rolling credits at the end, by then it was a reprise... a reprise because he also used it to kick off the beginning of his feature! When I asked him why he used it so prominently he replied, "because it's so tight, dad."

So, apparently my music is tight. That's a good thing, right?

I still haven't solved the problem of why I am unable to bounce to a stereo file. My next ridiculous questions for you guys will probably be how to make sure I don't lose all my project files when I re-install or try to upgrade.

Regards, Greg